Policies & Procedures

Payment Due Date

Your payment is due 15 business days after the bill date. If your payment is not received on or before the due date, your account is subject to a 10% penalty; even if the bill is not received by the customer. At that time, a delinquent notice will be mailed noting the disconnection date and the amount to pay including the penalties to avoid disconnection of service due to non-payment.

Non-Payment Disconnection of Service

Service is subject to disconnection after 10 business days from the due date. If your account makes the “final list” to be disconnected for non-payment, a $40 fee will be incurred. To resume service, the fee and the full delinquent amount must be paid prior to 60 minutes of close of work day. The city will accept cash or credit card payments only when an account has been disconnected for non-payment.

If service is requested to resume within 60 minutes of close of work day, a $50 after hour fee will be assessed. If it has been determined that a water meter has been tampered with, or turned on after payment, other than by a city personnel, a $75 tamper fee may be assessed. Any future occurrences of tampering may result in an additional charge equaling the cost of the meter set-up. All assessed fees and the full delinquent amount must be paid prior to resuming service.

To avoid further delay of resumption of service, payment should be made by calling 281-554-1357 or come in person to City Hall. Payments online will delay resumption of service to the next working day.

Payment Extensions

If additional time is needed to make the payment, customers are granted three payment extensions each calendar year. Extensions are only given upon request, and only for the current delinquent amount, and not extending a current extension. The customer’s last regular bill (prior to the delinquent notice) must be paid in full to receive a payment extension.

The additional time allotted is up to 7 calendar days after disconnection date only, and the deposit is not applicable for payment. All approved payment extensions must be paid by 10 a.m. on the approved extended due date to avoid disconnection of service and all applicable fees.

Billing Adjustments

Billing adjustments due to a customer leak are granted upon customer’s written request. Each request is reviewed to verify the following criteria have been met:

Plumber’s detailed receipt including services performed and parts to reflect the problem has been repaired

Customer leak must have occurred within 3 month of date of the written request

Customer must have 6 months of previous continuous service in good standing.

Only one customer leak adjustment within a 12-month period

Only the water cost will be adjusted for toilet leaks

Only two months will be adjusted

Water usage has doubled in comparison to the previous six months

Additional Deposit on Active Account due to Poor Credit History

Upon reviewing active accounts, the City reserves the right to assess or increase a deposit on an existing account for which has maintained a poor credit history with the City. Monthly, accounts are reviewed for more than two cut offs for non-payment or more than four late payments within the past twelve months. If either criterion is met, $100 deposit is added to the next billing and a letter is mailed noting this action to the customer. This letter references the City ordinance, Section 114-116. Deposits:

The utility billing manager, acting of behalf of the director of finance, will have authority to charge a deposit on an existing account, which has maintained poor credit history with the city, and also has the authority to increase and existing deposit in order to protect the city’s interest.

Residential Sewer Cap Cost – Filling Pools/Spas

All residential accounts have a sewer cap of 10,000 gallons per month, $51.62 monthly charge. If your water usage exceeds 10,000 gallons, your water cost will reflect the total usage and cost; and the sewer cost will be capped at 10,000 gallons, $51.62 monthly charge. This cap stands in place of other adjustments for pool filling, irrigation, alike. In addition, pools are required to drain into the city’s sanitary sewer system, from which is treated and returned to the environment under the standards enforced by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

High Usage Bill

Our office will be happy to research your high bill concern. Please call our office at 281-554-1335, option 2 or via email our office. Within a 12-month period, a customer can request a free meter re-read and meter field test for accuracy; after subsequent requests will be charged $65 each.